My last column signed off with a salute to the 75th anniversary of the South Carolina State Parks program and mentioned fishing piers that are part of two of the coastal state parks. A fishing pier is a boardwalk that takes a turn and juts out into the ocean, allowing anglers to fish the surf zone and beyond while keeping their feet dry. Plenty of public piers are available from Horry County to Beaufort County, and fall is a great time to drop a line and try your luck.
Fishing reports for all piers can be obtained by checking their websites, and an overall report can be found at www.dnr.sc.gov/news/saltpiers.html.
Taking a look at the fishing piers along the South Carolina coast, we start at the top. The northernmost is the Cherry Grove Pier in North Myrtle Beach. It tops the list for a remarkable catch from 1964, when Walter Maxwell reeled in a mammoth 1,780-pound tiger shark, the all-tackle world record.
Some noise was made recently in Edisto when Jowe Nettles landed an 800-pound tiger shark, but that fish was a guppy compared to the Cherry Grove Pier shark — especially considering that Maxwell’s shark was not weighed until 24 hours after it was landed. I wonder how long it took for swimmers to get the nerve to return to the beaches surrounding the Cherry Grove Pier back in 1964?
The Cherry Grove Pier is a landmark that has stood the test of time and has been renovated extensively; it has its own tackle shop. Hours of operation vary depending on the season, and as with all fishing piers, no saltwater license is required. A black-and-white photo of the record shark, plus other information, can be viewed at www.cherrygrovepier.com.
Other Grand Strand piers include the Apache Campground Pier, the Second Avenue Pier, the Springmaid Pier and the Myrtle Beach State Park Pier.
Myrtle Beach has the highest concentration of piers on the South Carolina coast, and only free time limits anglers from going out on “the high boardwalk” and catching some fish. Pier fishing is wildly popular in North Carolina, and perhaps some of that has rubbed off on our northern coastline.
Continuing south, The Pier at Garden City and The Surfside Pier are slightly smaller, with perhaps less fishing pressure. Tackle shops, arcades, café and family memories are also part of the equation at these piers.
The Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission built the Folly Beach Fishing Pier in 1996. This modern pier stretches 1,045 feet into the Atlantic Ocean, standing 23 feet above sea level, tipped with a 7,500- square foot diamond-shaped fishing platform that is partially reserved for king mackerel fishing. It also features a second-story observation deck that doubles as a dancing area, ah, but that is another story.
Fishing the Folly Beach pier begins with a stop at the Gangplank Tackle Shop to purchase a pass, which allows two rods per angler. There are various levels, but the most basic pass is a one-day fee of eight dollars. The current fishing report is available from 843-588-FISH, and the most common species landed are whiting, bluefish, trout and drum. Artificial reef balls have been placed along the south side and end of the pier to encourage the presence of baitfish and predators.
The largest fish ever caught from the Folly Beach Pier was a 100-pound tarpon landed on Aug. 25, 1996 — the pier’s inaugural season. Word spread fast about the big catch and how fishermen “swam it” toward the beach to land it. Tarpon were not as common in 1996, but it proved to be a sign of things to come. Assistant manager Eric Couch reported that two tarpon were landed in 2008 through mid-July.
Spanish mackerel were running earlier in the summer, and Robert Danis broke the pier record on May 24 with a 7-pound Spaniard. A notable Folly Pier record dating to 1996, a 31-pound jack crevalle, received a scare when a large school of jacks moved through in June and Mike Gregorwicz pulled in a 26.8-pounder. Charleston is a hot spot for big jacks, and I want to emphasize that a record jack will be caught one day.
Edisto Beach used to have a great fishing pier, but it was eventually removed. This year, investors have come forward to rebuild the pier, which should be another great resource for recreational anglers.
In Beaufort County, the Paradise Pier at Hunting Island State Park extends into Fripp Inlet for a melting pot of fish possibilities. You might catch a tripletail floating up from Georgia, a black-tip shark or a stingray. But don’t overlook the other seafood found at the pier, because blue crabs are said to be available by the 5-gallon-bucketful at low tide. Please remember that a sportsman does not keep more than he can use, and also to replace the female crabs to the water for the future of the resource.
If you’re looking for a way to cut fuel costs associated with fishing trips, then pier fishing is a no-brainer. In fact, it’s a challenge to go to a pier and try to catch fish that have seen everything other anglers have to offer.
And since fishing involves some luck, just be ready when a school of large fish comes cruising by the pier ready to test some tackle.
Be the first to comment